Has anyone used pin striping tape? I did a rattle can paint job and decided to do some contrasting seat tube bands. I was wondering about using the pin striping tape to trim them out. Any advice?

Honestly easy stuff. It's like a window decal if you have ever applied one to your car. Clean the surface (alcohol), a quick fine sanding is a good idea, then apply the pinstriping by laying an inch or two extra that you will cut off not in the line you are wanting to stripe (to keep your starting end stuck to the surface), apply along the line you want keeping good tension and smoothing as you lay the striping down. When you reach the end of the line, smooth down a little extra to make sure you have a seamless integration if you are connecting, and then using a razor-blade cut off your extra ends.

I wish I could explain better, I can/will do a write-up when i paint two frames hopefully In mid-october. If you are clearcoating, keep in mind that laying the pin-striping down before or after clear coating will have an effect on the permanence of the striping (yes you can peel striping off)

Was the chrome left uncovered or did you have to take the white powder coat off afterward

Thanks! Where do I go to buy it and what brand/type do you use/prefer?

I have an old steel bike frame that I want to have sandblasted. I assume I would remove the fork before I drop the fork and the frame off at the sandblasters shop? The fork is steel as well. I've been quoted a price of 40.00. Does that sound reasonable?

$40 sounds about right.

I paid $25 to have a frame sandblasted by a fix-it guy whom I found in the yellow pages. It took him less than 5 minutes to do, a bicycle frame is pretty easy. That said, $40 isn't too bad a price, just be sure that he doesn't get any dust inside the tubes. And chrome will come right off, be sure there is nothing chromed under the paint.

I have and I ended up damaging it before I got around to clearcoating it. I've removed all of it and now I'm trying to decide whether to do it over with tape or mask and spray with an airbrush.

You're not supposed to stretch it while applying it and it's hard to avoid stretching when applying it to tapered stays and fork blades. The seat tube was easy.

You can see it better if you click on the picture, click "full size" and then click on that picture.

this one has a head badge on it....do sand blasters mask things? Seems like the head badge would need to be removed and then reinstalled.

The safest way to strip a frame is to chemically strip the paint, then use a soft media like walnut shells or plastic to blast it. Using a media and pressure that takes "about 5 minutes" can be harmful to the frame, and can only be done so many times. Also the finish will not look as good using more abrasive medias. If it's something you care about, be as gentle as you can. The cost should not be much more for the prep alone.
-Chip

Dirtdrop, that's a beautiful bike!

Dirtdrop, What kind of hub is that? Is that one of those Nexus 7-speeds?

It's a Sturmey-Archer SRF-3 three speed.

I picked up a frame from the powder coater today, and we talked about the process of masking. Sounds like he needs to do one round of masking during the sandblasting (using something like duct tape), then remove that tape and all of the glue residue, and then apply a tape that can withstand high temperatures for the powder coating. He'll scroll around the edges of headbadges or other kinds of masking. So it can certainly be done, but just adds to the labor cost.

BTW, if you're in Massachusetts, I highly recommend this powdercoater in Plymouth, MA: Long Beach Custom Fabrications, https://www.lbcustomfab.com/. He charges $50 for a blast and a single color coat, and usually completes the job in a week or so. He's done two frames for me now, and about five for a local bike buddy. Good stuff.

Neal

I would love to see some pics.

That bike is a beauty! I love it. It looks so good with the brown Brooks and grips.

First post in a while, but this thread caught my eye . . .(Yellow before, Celeste/Black after )

Joe Bell is certainly one of the best. The wait time was certainly worth it. The quality and attention to detail was unmatched. I recently had a several cyclists from U of Georgia staying with me and they were awestruck by the bike. That was probably worth the $850 that I put into the paint.

can anyone recommend a good Canadian painter? Preferably someone in southern ontario?

Might want to try Mike Barry at Bicycle Specialties in Toronto.

WOW!

$850 for a 2 color fade with decals applied?

I need to adjust my prices!


naaah,...then I'd have to be faster!

Me too!
But, as you said, I'd have to pick up the pace, and that never seems to work for me.

That Haro, Skyway and Hutch. Man, I'm speechless.

Can anyone make a recommendation for a chrome plating shop that'll handle bicycles? I'm not looking for to chrome an entire frame, just the ends. A shop in New England is an added bonus.

Thanks,

Neal

I too am looking for a painter in co. preferably around boulder, denver area

Okay painters, I have a question.
I recently stripped the paint on my Trek 500 and realized that I really like the raw steel look. I've been polishing the lugs to a mirror finish and they look awesome. What I'm wondering is if it is practical to just clear-coat the frame and if so, is there anything that I need to do i.e. find some kind of clear primer (if one exists). I've heard that you need to etch the metal if you want a really lasting paint job. I don't want to go through the hassle if I'm just going to have to strip it and repaint it in a year.
Thanks